This invention relates to a deformable hitch with a rotatable bottom bar thereon and having a mechanism for continuously urging the bottom bar into a position parallel to the rear of a towing vehicle.
Conventional towing vehicles are frequently equipped with a vehicle towing sling assembly which includes a belt-type sling which cradles the bumper of a towed vehicle and ends in a bottom bar having J-hooks attached thereto for connection to the underside of the vehicle being towed. In addition, the bottom bar is pivotally attached to a hitch which extends rearwardly from the towing vehicle. The bottom bar must be pivotal with relationship to the hitch mechanism, so that the towed and towing vehicles may turn easily when connected together. This pivotal nature of the bottom bar presents problems to the operator of the towing vehicle. In particular, when connecting the two vehicles, if the bottom bar is not substantially parallel to the rear of the towing vehicle, there is a tendency for the outermost end thereof to jab and thereby damage the vehicle to be towed. Thus, the operator must physically get out of the towing vehicle before he can back same into position for towing and manually adjust the bottom bar. Even this is not always effective as strong winds and/or jerking motions of the towing vehicle may deflect the bottom bar out of the desired parallel position. Hence a device is desired that will allow pivotal rotation of the bottom bar but will continually urge the bottom bar to return to the desired parallel position with sufficient force to overcome wind or other extraneous causes of deflection.
Attempts have been made in the prior art to stabilize the bottom bar in the above discussed parallel alignment. Such attempts have included various combinations of hooks, individual springs, and rubber stops. However, these devices have often required some kind of manual adjustment thereof and have generally been inadequate in producing the results desired thereof.